Thursday, May 01, 2003

BROKEN CONTRACT Being stuck in the office on a beautiful day is not a pleasure. Especially when it's a law office. During some free time (OK I lied, I was goofing off) I came across the following item from Richard D. Kahlenberg's book, Broken Contract: "...Law, in particular, is supposed to be about justice.  Many are drawn to law because it presents, in Louis Brandeis' words, 'special opportunities for usefulness to your fellow-men'... prospective students realize that one side (corporate America) is forever marshaling the best legal talent in an attempt to buy justice, and they come to law school wanting to correct the imbalance.  But somewhere along the line, they lose two things.  First, they lose their innocence, when they realize that a lot of lawyers are just after the bucks, after all.  Then, the external becomes internal, and they lose some of their own idealism, accepting that they, too, may not be as good as they thought they were... ...Every year it happens.  A number of students come wanting to be Atticus Finch and leave as Arnie Becker.  You can blame the individuals for breaking their personal contracts - the agreements they had with themselves that they were pursuing law not for the money but to do good.  You can blame the institution, the Harvard Law School, for breaking its implicit contract, proclaimed on the walls of its buildings, that law is about justice, and then fostering an atmosphere where it is hard not to be a hypocrite.  But no matter who is ultimately responsible, the sad truth is that every time an idealistic law student turns into a hardened attorney for the wealthy and powerful, she brings closer to the breaking point another agreement - the social contract - and that is simply unacceptable." On a related note, during lunch I took the Dante's Inferno Test. Here are my results:   The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory! Here is how you matched up against all the levels: Level Score Purgatory (Repenting Believers) Very High Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) Low Level 2 (Lustful) High Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Very Low Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) Moderate Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) Very Low Level 7 (Violent) High Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) Moderate Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) Low Take the Dante's Inferno Test   File under The Legal Profession. 8:53:20 PM    Go ahead, make my day  []

SIMPLY THE GREATEST EVER  No other horse even comes close. Following a track record at the Kentucky Derby, and a victory at the Preakness, came his amazing runaway at the Belmont. In winning the final leg of the Triple Crown, Secretariat's time of 2 minutes, 24 seconds was the fastest mile and a half ever run on a dirt track anywhere in the world. He won by 31 lengths. File under From The Sports Desk. 12:53:27 AM    Go ahead, make my day  []